Drifting valve



- J. B. PRUITT DRIFTING VALVE Sept. 6,1927.

A original Filed oct. 9. 1922 4 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY wl'rNEssES;

sept. 6,;1927.

. 1,641,864 J. B. PRUlTT v DRIFTING VALVE original Filed oct. 9. 1922 4sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY Sept. 6, 1927.

- 1,641,864 J. B. PRUITT DRIFT ING VALVE original Filedoct. 9, 1922 4sheets-sheet s INVENTOR ATTORNEY wlTNEssES I sept. 6,1927.

WITNESS:

1,641,864 J. B. PRUlTT DRIFTING VALVE` Y origial Filed oct. 9, 19224vshee1s-she`et 4 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

JEROME B. rituir'r, orL TEMPLE.' 'rnXAs.

7 DRIFTING VALVE-.

o Application ined @tollera/1922, serial No. 593,298. Renewed 'muy 13,.1927.4 i

. This invention comprehends4 the provi sion ofan automatic driftingvalve for locovmotives, by means of Which steam -1s, ad-

mitted to the cylinderssubsequent tothe l,

' primary objects, lto yprevent l'the Aadmittance of air to thesuper-heater (notshovvnlof lthe locomotive. y yThe nature andjadvantagesof the. invention Will bebetter understood when the followingdetaileddescription is read `in connection LWith the accompanying`drawings, the invention vresiding in the construction, rcombination, andarragement of vparts as claimed. In the dra-Wings .forming partofthisapplication, likenumerals of:V reference indicate similar parts in theseveral views, and 'Whereinz-. Y. l

Figure` 1 is a diagrammatic view of l,a locomotive equipped Withthedevice forming the subject matter ofthe present invention. y j Y Figure2 is a sectional view through the device showingthenormalvposition ofthe pistonvalve and its associated parts.

yFigure 3 Yis v a similar View, showing the position of this valve whensteam is being admitted to VVthecylinders yWhile drifting.

1 Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line vof, 1*`igure 3; jv iFigure 5 is a sectional Vview taken on line 5 5 of Figure 3. o i

The device Vforming the subject matter of the present invention isadapted to be located in any convenient point on the locomotive,preferably a point adjacent the boiler A. The Vdevice comprises aframelike support 10 Which includes a base 11, the latter being extendedan appreciable distance beyond the body 10.V Arranged upon the base 11and positioned Within the framelike support lOis a valve case 12, inwhich operates a balancepiston valve 13. `The stem of this valve isindicated at 14, and projects through the top of the. cylinder, andL hasassociated With the upper end thereof a` governor 15. The Weighted arms16 of the governor are pivotally associated at a suitable point intheir'len'gth, with brackets 17 Which are supported upon a beveledLeadingffromithe boiler A gear (loosely mounted upon the valve stem 14,vandV operatingy on roller bearings 19l `to kminimize friction. Y

The gear 18 isof course arranged directly x abovethecylinder 12,andkmeshes With a gear arranged at one side-of the cylinder andV fixed`upon a vshaft 2l rotated inla manneiytobe Vhereinafter' described. *fThe shaftl 2`1xis; journaled in suitable bearings :1f-

22 and the formerxbein'g associatedA With anyupright 10supported by theibase 1 1. Supported-by the yshaft 21- is a pluralityof cooperatingclutch. disks 25, While associated with apulley 26 is ari-additional'clutch disk 25'.. AThe pulley. 26 is loosely.mountedvupon a shaft 2l,but'is adapted to be moved longitudinally on theshaftto move the clutchY disks intooperative relation, in amanner to be presently described,and When the lovverfend asat v30. to the valve case 12 is a .steamsupply pipe'31, and varranged directly beneath this pipe, leading aclutch. lever..29, which is fulcrumed at its .1'

from ,thev cylindenl2 tothe locomotive cyle inders 32 isanvoutletQpipe33. The pipes 31 and 33 areapproximately tyvo' andonevhalf( inchesfin diameter, 'so as to supply the cylinders 32Yvvithvjust. enough steam when inder communicates With the valve case 12by means of a small pipe 35, Which leads from the valve case 12 adjacentthe bottom thereof and enters one end of the cylinder 34, the latterbeing arranged substantially at a right angle to the valve case 12.

- Operating in the cylinder 34 is a piston 36, the piston rod 37 thereofsliding through their` locomotive. v is drifting. Arranged f at one sideofthe supporting frame-like struc'- vture 10 is a small cylinder'34, andthis cylthe opposite end 'of the cylinder and con- In practice, thebalanced piston valve normally occupies a position illustrated in Figure2 in which position communication between the inlet pipe 31, and theoutlet pipe 33 is cut olli. lVit-h the valve in this position, the samesteam which is admitted to the cylinders oit the locomotive, by reasonof the 'tact that the throttle valve is opened is also admitted to thecylinder 12, passing through the pipe 35 into the cylinder B4. Thepiston 36 is forced to the position illustrated in Figure 2 under suchconditions, and consecuiently, the clutch lever is shifted away from thepulley 2G, thereby tensioning the spring 4() as the pulley 26 and itsassociated clutch disks 25 move away from the cooperating disks 25`thereby disengaging the clutch. The pulley 26 is continuously rotatedwhile the locomotive is in motion, by mea-ns of a belt 41, Which istrained over the pulley 2G, and also over a pulley Wheel 42, fixed tothe adjacent axle 43 of the locomotive. Now, when the throttle valve isclosed, and the locomotive allowed to drift, the steam in the cylinder34 is released theretrom, bleedingr through the pipe 35, with a result,that the spring 40 shifts the pulley 26 in the proper direction upon theshaft 21 to engage the clutch, thereby rotating the shaft 21. The gear20 carried by this shatt meshes With the gear 18 to rotate the latter,and incident to the rotation of the last mentioned gear, the governor isput in operation Which automatically lowers the valve 13 to the positionWhich it occupies in Figure 3. In this position oit the valve,communication between the inlet pipe 31 and the outlet pipe 33 isestablished, and consequently as long as t-he valve 13 occupies theposition just mentioned, a suilicient quantity of steam will be conveyedfrom the boiler to the cylinders of the locomotive for the purpose abovementioned. Then the throttle valve is again opened or when the engine isdrifting, the valve 13 remains in its lowermost position since steam iscut oil from the cylinder 34. It will be noted that the gears 1S and 2()operate in a crank case which is arranged exteriorly ol the valve case12` this crank casing being indian-ed at t5 and supplied with a quantityol oil to keep the parts operating therein properly lubricated.

lVhile it is believed thatfrom the foregoing description, the nature andadvantages ot the invention Will be readily apparent, I desire to haveit understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown anddescribed, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as tallWithin the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim is In a mechanism ot the character de scribed, a valve casehaving a steam inlet port and a steam outlet port, a piston valvearranged to reciprocate in said case, and including a stem slidablcthrough an opening in the top thereof, a gear surrounding said stem, ashaft arranged at a right angle to said valve case and mounted forrotation, a gear supported by said shaft and meshingr with the lirstmentioned gear, a pulley journaled on said shaft, cooperating clutchmembers carried by the shaft and pulley respectively, a pivoted clutchlever connected with said pulley :tor moving t-he latter in a directionto disengage said clutch members, a small cylinder communicating withsaid valve case, a piston operating in said cylinder and connected withsaid clutch lever, a spring surrounding said shaft for moving the pulleyin a direction to cause said clutch members to engage, and a governorincluding pivotally mounted members cooperating With the stem of' saidvalve for moving the latter to a position to establish communicationbetween the inlet and outlet ports as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

JEROME B. PRUITT.

